Avamarine: Angels of Sin
by Athura
Summary: A story that follows an extensive time line from the beginning to the end of Sin and his mayhem. Love story Auron X Ava See inside . The Angels of Sin, creatures strong enough to make Sin himself flee in terror, what can come of this?
1. Chapter 1

**Ok, so this is the first FanFiction I've ever done… Sad to say… Not really. I'm more of an original stories type of person, but my love of Final Fantasy 10 has inspired me to write this. This story is based on a very long time-line, and yes, it does interfere with the game you all have played. But, I like this idea, so bear with me, and if you don't like it, don't read it. I know it doesn't flow precisely to the storyline, I try and keep it close enough, but also keep it interesting. So, please enjoy!**

Final Fantasy X

The Avamarine Legacy

Part 1

A Long Road Ahead…

**Prologue: **

**The Beginning of it All**

The night that started it all, the beginning and the end of Sin's horrible legacy throughout the ravaged ruins of what we have all become familiar with as Spira, the night Ject returned is the beginning of my story. As did it prove to be the end. As the great machina city of Zanarkand fell, homage to the great and looming destruction that would ensue for the next one-thousand years, Ellias sat in her room, weeping the loss of her husband and son…

They had gone against her wishes, Roark having left to go fight the immortal beast, taking her only son with him. She begged to go and fight with them, more than capable of carrying a blade, but Roark denied those please, and in his own loving way, incapacitated his wife to flee to battle.

That was the last time Ellias ever saw her beautiful, loving husband, and the last time she got to see her son's face. The face that she and her husband had created; a mixture of Roark's dark eyes and hair, and her soft features and kind lips. She sobbed, alone.

Her room overlooked the city, great panes of cyberglass opening up the falling city to her tear-filled eyes. She wished only for death. With her husband gone to give her strength, and her son for confidence, she was empty.

She watched as Sin, who had been motionless for several hours now over one of the eastern bridges finally moved once more. His grotesque whale-like figure shifted, blubbery folds overlapping and shifting over his frame as he turned, taking three earth-shaking steps to do so, clearing a good portion of the city with him. He stared at the building which held Ellias, and so many other uncertain and anxious patrons. For a long moment, he was motionless, simply staring, watching, waiting. But Ellias saw it.

She saw it before it happened, and the pain poured through her veins. Sin had given her reason to die without vengeance. A reason to end her life without fear of his own wellbeing, taking away her very soul to do so, and suddenly the dumb animalistic look on his gray features warped into a very real, hideous grin.

He knew…

Even then…

Sin opened his jowls, and a great blue orb of light began to waver in the air before him, summoned as if from the heavens to grant her that oh-so-prolonged wish of death.

He had created an enemy, one among thousands.

He had created a monster, with lust in her soul…

A lust to kill…

A lust to see the end…

_He knew._

For almost a decade, Ellias had concealed herself as a commoner. With the love of a husband and the joy of a son, she wished to bring no unnecessary strife, and thus had hidden the great and powerful warrior from the world. She denied herself to Spira, and now, Spira was fighting back.

The blue orb Sin had created took off, screaming. Composed of thousands of dead cries and widowed souls, such power sent a frightened shiver down Ellias's spine. She had never seen anything like it, so strong that the heavens shuddered, that the air itself seemed to dissolve into impure vapors or nothingness.

This should have been her demise.

She stood swiftly, summoned up all the power she had stored over the years and years of desolate immobility, and threw her arms out with all of her strength…

The cyberglass windows shuddered and cracked, an opaque golden black shield fell over the great building that housed her, larger and more sturdy than she had ever in her life created.

The collision was spectacular. Such power of two forces seemed to deafen the world to complete dumb silence as Sin's energy met her shield. The shield rippled and wavered, the energy whirled and shook and thrust itself against what she had created. An unlikely equal match.

Ellias stood there, dumbfounded by this.

There was one last powerful shudder, and her shield failed her. Ellias watched in horror as the cyberglass exploded outwards, her shield shattered and the death sphere turned everything white… Her world was gone… Her life was gone…

Sin knew…

He had created his most deadly enemy. A creature so strong that could even for a moment stop his immense power. He created it. And he feared it.

Ellias Yevon died that day, in the wake of Sin's birth.

And from the ashes of Ellias Yevon, arose Avamarine. The first of many, the last of one.

**Chapter 1:**

**Comrade or Guardian?**

One might not, on first impression, know that Ava was one thousand years old. Perpetually trapped at the age of twenty-eight, with the beauty of a woman five years younger. She was strong and independent, free and wild. She was followed by a feral nature, a sharp and unforgiving physique built upon instinct and lust, with wise gray eyes and short cropped hair the color of fresh barley.

She stood against every element, the wild unpredictability of fire, the fluidity of fire, the speed of lightning and the cold gaze of ice. Ava was obviously a woman with intent, someone with a goal. Nothing was going to stand in her way – aside from seasickness.

She stood at the bow of the S.S. Liki, a very raggedy wooden ship, arms wrapped around the rope rails of the ship and stared down into the water. Who would believe that someone like Ava would be so plagued by the wicked sea. Although, she never had liked it anyway.

"Hey, you OK?" A strong hand of a dark bronze tan gripped her pale shoulder, "You looking a little green there, ya?" His accent was thick, but his voice was jovial.

She didn't bother to look up at him, but instead snapped, "I'm _not_ ok. If I were ok, I would have both legs on solid land. I would not be trapped on some Yevon Forsaken boat traveling out of some Yevon awful, Backwater Island." She gave a slight dry heave.

"Sheesh, you don't gotta be so snippy about it, I was only asking." Said the man, "You know, we got a White Mage on board, maybe she could help."

Ava finally looked up at the man. He wore a strange orange garb, big puffy pants and one shoulder pad. A fish necklace stood out on his collar bone, and he wore a blue bandanna over outrageously red and spiky hair curled in a gaudy loop. He was frowning, but his eyes were smiling.

"I'm not _damaged_ I'm _ill_ my oddly dressed friend." She quickly turned back over the boat and gagged again, "Thank you for your offer, but I believe I'll suffer alone on this." She gagged once more.

"Whatever you say, come find me if you change your mind, ya?" He waved his hand as he started to walk away.

"W-wait!" Ava hung herself over the rope rail and tried to keep her composure, "H-how good is this mage of yours?" she asked, almost bashfully.

The man grinned and laughed a concealing laugh, "She's kinda new, but she'll do."

Ava sighed as the man ran off to get her. Just what she needed, a half-rate newbie white mage who probably couldn't cure a scratch. She stuck her head back out and prayed that the road to Kilika would be a smooth one, and vowed not to eat until they got on land.

The sound of approaching footsteps encroached her futile prayers, making Ava glance up at the sight before her. The orange haired man had returned with a woman by his side, this one just as oddly dressed. Long purple skirt laced with flowers in the shapes of stars, a white top and large yellow belt, and sails on her arms. But it wasn't the clothing that peaked Ava's interest – the way this smiling brown haired woman held herself, the staff in her hands, the sheer power she held within her.

Ava scrambled to her feet, "A Summoner?" she demanded.

The woman nodded and smiled, but Ava could see that her eyes held a strange sort of emotion, something akin to sadness, "I am Summoner Yuna. From the isle of Besaid."

She held it in her face, her features, "Lord Braska's daughter?"

Another wave of nausea hit and she turned back to the sea, trying to withhold her dry heaves, "My apologies, Lady Summoner, I'm not in the best of conditions." She once more cursed the sea for all that it had wrought.

Lady Yuna giggled, "Here, this should help." She stood back and took up her staff, muttered a quick prayer and waved it before her.

The air around Ava turned cool, and as she took in a deep breath, her stomach slowly settled and the once violently rocking boat slowly stopped being such a nuisance. Ava blinked from behind a curtain of her short blonde hair and turned to Yuna, "And here your friend said you were new at this. I feel so much better now, thank you."

Yuna nodded, "My friend here is Wakka. He is one of my Guardians."

Ava tried and failed at a smile. She had never been good at showing emotion, "Well, Wakka, I thank you. The sea has never been kind to me." She turned to Yuna, "And, young Summoner, I must implore to you the greatest and deepest gratitude. You are going to the Kilika, are you not?"

Wakka took on a hardened expression that appeared so foreign on his face.

"Yes," said Yuna, slowly, as if choosing each word carefully before saying anything, "I come from the temple in Besaid. I am only just starting my pilgrimage."

Ava smiled at the young Summoner, an idea sparked in her mind, "And to Luca beyond?" When Yuna nodded, Ava continued, "Then allow for me to travel with you. The Kilika woods can be a nasty place, even with a Guardian. I too am going to Luca."

"Yuna don't need any more Guardians." Wakka said firmly.

Ava's smile faded, "Not a Guardian." She shook her head, "Think of me as a comrade. I'll be needing the Lady's help from here to Luca, it is the least I can do to offer my services to her in compensation. Besides, I don't want to get tangled in the affairs of the temples…" She turned to the sea and sighed, "Not again, at least."

"You were a Guardian to another Summoner?" Yuna asked with a certain child like wonder.

"Once, long ago."

"We'll have to talk it over with the others." Wakka finally said.

Bring it on, thought Ava.

* * *

The S.S. Liki was a large, flat ship. Wide white sails for gulls to screech and play through, a small bridge and a large area underneath. The once seasick Ava now found herself in a small room down below the wide open skies, trapped in a room with five other people, each as outrageously dressed as the last.

Ava took each one in with care, having been previously introduced as she, Yuna and Wakka had collected the rabble of Guardians from various parts of the ship.

The very sour-faced Lulu, garbed in a black outfit and a skirt made entirely of belts. As Ava took a glance at her chest, she honestly wondered if the woman had back problems, but for fear of her own physical wellbeing, kept the comment to herself.

The elegant and silent blue furred Ronso, Kimahri. A lion-like frame on wide back legs, white silver hair and very tribal clothing. She was sickly at ease around Ronso people, having to spend so long with them on Gagazet. Some small part of Ava knew that this one was familiar…

Then her eyes fell to the child-like Tidus. She had to hold herself back on this one, his very presence made her nervous. She knew who he was before anyone had said anything. This was Sir Ject's son. The cry baby. A nasally voice and outlandish clothes, lots of zippers and nets with the spiky blonde hair.

"A comrade?" Asked Lulu incredulously, "Why do we need her?"

Yuna stood by Ava's side, obviously defending the offer, "How will one more pair of hands impede us? Besides, she says she was a Guardian long ago."

Lulu turned her red-violet eyes on Ava's frame. "To whom?"

Ava remained stock still, and folded her arms over her chest. "My apologies, friend, but for my own reasons I would dare not speak of my past." She shook her head, "It's not a kind place for me to revisit. Let me just say, he was a brave and valiant man."

"I don't believe you." Stated the black mage calmly, shrugging one of her long black braids behind her shoulder.

Ava glared the woman down, "I never said you had to believe me. I am only offering my companionship to Luca. We're to travel together until then anyway, so there is no reason to do so without each others help."

There was a long silence, and the tension in the room slowly grew as the two stiff figured women sized each other up and glared one another down. Finally, the Ronso stood between them, and stared at the wall seemingly without purpose, "I believe her."

Everyone seemed slightly taken aback by the otherwise silent creature. He turned, and moved back to the wall in which he had been leaning on, spear clasped tightly in one hand.

"If she moves out of line, we're all right there to protect Yuna." Tidus said, his sharp voice quelling the final strings of tension held in the room, "You guys trusted me, you know?"

There was a silent agreement infectious throughout the room. Some piece of the story that Ava knew she was missing from this boy. Ject's son. The missing page in _her_ story.

Slowly, one by one, the Guardians filtered out. Tidus, then Lulu, then Wakka and Yuna, until only Ava and Kimahri remained.

The wood of the board groaned out loud, shattering the silence of the small room as everything slowly tilted to one side. The room fell silent once more. "Thank you, old friend." Ava finally said to the blue feline.

Though the Ronso said nothing out loud, his eyes said everything. He knew what was about to happen, he knew that this woman who stood so close to him held many an untold secret, that she had rebellion in her heart. Rebellion against Sin… Rebellion against the man who had stolen her revived heart… The Ronso secretly knew that everything was about to fall apart, and from the pieces, who knew what could be rebuilt.

* * *

An hour later, and poor Ava was hanging back over the ships railing. She had nothing more to bring up, but it was still natural for her to flee to the edge of the boat. Although, such manners brought back powerful memories for the woman, vivid recollections…

A man who sat laughing behind her, a small and rare chuckle from him that should have comforted her. He knew all too well of her sensitive seasickness, and found it amusing. She allowed herself to be lost in these memories for a moment, when more footsteps made her look up.

Tidus was moving up the stairs towards the mast of the ship. The boy was alone, and Ava took this opportunity to stumble after him on wobbly legs. She climbed the stairs and was instantly regretting her decision; as she got higher up, the motions of the rocking boat increased and made her feel all the worse.

Tidus looked up as the woman stumbled into the mast and held on. He was laughing a little bit, "You don't look so good."

"That appears to be the general consensus." She admitted with failed humor. She paused a moment, gauging the rocking of the boat before she stumbled up beside him and held to the railing now, "I hate boats…" she muttered to herself, "With disdain and passion, I loathe these Yevon awful contraptions!"

Tidus was laughing again, and she shook her head at him.

"You…are Ject's son, are you not? A boy from Zanarkand?" Tidus sobered up immediately.

He sighed, and produced the excuse she felt he had practiced unwillingly time and time again, "I got too close to Sin, the toxin made my head fuzzy."

Ava shook her head. "You're a poor liar." She said, making the boy look up at her, "I knew Ject. I too thought that he was crazy the first time he spoke of being from Zanarkand. Being from my Zanarkand. I tested him, bombarded him with questions until I came to no other terms, except that he was telling the truth."

Tidus blinked, his mouth hung open in disbelief, "_You're_ from Zanarkand?" he gaped.

Ava sighed and clutched the railing a little harder as she fought back waves of nausea and bad memories that threatened her sanity, "Once. Several lifetimes ago."

Confused, Tidus shook his head, "Lemme guess, you're gonna say that my old man was some great person, right?" he drawled, "And that I should respect him and honor him and all that?"

At this, Ava laughed. A real laugh that made her double over the post she clung to. When she straightened back up to look at the confused blonde male beside her, she was still smiling wondrously, "A great person? Hardly! He was pompous and arrogant, self-centered and greedy! He always tried to make everyone around him bow to his excellence, but oh he hated it when I could name off his record of defeats, back in Zanarkand." Ava shook her head again, "But that doesn't mean he didn't change. He never stopped being 'Ject,' but he also turned into a hero of sorts…"

Tidus was staring out at the ocean, "You really did know my old man…" he said, "He brought you here?"

Ava shook her head, "Too many stories that don't need telling." She admitted just before another wave of nausea brought her to her knees, "Ugh… I gotta find Yuna."

Tidus smiled and offered out a gloved hand, "Come on, I'll help ya."

She took the offered hand and let the boy guide her down to the lower part of the ship, where thankfully her nausea slowly eased up. They headed to the front of the boat, where the sun was strong, and the white mage stood amid a group of spectators. Wakka and Lulu stood sentient by the bridge, and Kimahri faithfully by her side.

She and Tidus pushed through the small crowd and up to Yuna, who knew what was needed the second she saw Ava's green face.

Yuna gave a small giggle, as if some part of her knew that the one-thousand year old Avamarine, struck down by mild seasickness was an amusing sight to behold. She took up her staff and gave it a wave with a small muttered prayer, and Ava took in the cool and gentle air quickly made the ill feeling shrink away in fear.

Slowly Ava straightened, and the crowd around them was dissipating quickly as the players returned to their practice, and the commoners fled under the Ronso's powerful glare. "Thank you, Lady Yuna." Ava gave the bow everyone was familiar with, folding her hands in a circle before her stomach and gave a deep bow. "I'm swearing off ships after this." She said with a small chuckle.

Yuna was smiling, but her eyes strayed from Ava's face, to Tidus. Ava suddenly knew that this wasn't her place to be, "Thank you once more lady Summoner." Yuna smiled at her before Ava turned to move away.

"It's not often you see someone travelling all alone." Ava paused as she passed Lulu, who had not looked up from watching Yuna and Tidus just out of hearing distance, "There's something different about you. I don't like it."

"Most people don't." Admitted Ava, "I'm not here to stay, you know. I'm just accompanying the Lady to Luca. Then I'm on my own again."

Lulu fell silent once more.

Although, Wakka apparently overheard, "Why you headed to Luca anyway?"

Ava smiled at the native, a frightening smile, "Why, for the tournament of course." She said, though it was an obvious lie.

"You don't look like a fan to me." Wakka said, waving his big hand.

Ava shrugged, "Fans are supposed to look a certain way?" With that, she started away when the sea gave an uneasy churn.

The woman stopped dead where she was as a ripple echoed through her heart.

"Sin…" she whispered, so soft it was hardly audible. Lulu turned her head up at the sound as Ava turned and ran out towards the front of the ship, "_SIN_!" she shrieked, sending a wave of fear down everyone's spine. Everyone was suddenly on full alert as Ava leapt onto one of the rail posts, balancing almost inhumanly atop it.

She stared out at the quiet sea as everyone slowly calmed down. They didn't feel what she did. They didn't see it, but she _felt_ it.

"Hey, hey!" Wakka bellowed, "The hell were you thinkin'? You don't just call –"

The sea groaned and gave a massive churn as one enormous fin split the waters just over a hundred yards away. Ava's heart sped up, and she quickly glanced behind her as Kimahri lunged for Yuna, as all the Guardians fell into formation.

Some of the Kilika men ran for the harpoon, and were aiming at the monster in futility.

Ava turned her eyes back on the monster, "_SIN! It's been fifty years! You're not running away from me again!_"

The harpoons launched from their resting place and screamed through the air until they dug firmly into the fin. The boat lurched, and Ava only just heard the sounds of protest as she ran to the prow of the ship, and threw herself into the sea…

It had been fifty years since she last saw Sin. There were so few times that Sin would dare be near the woman, she _repelled_ him in every sense. But Ava had felt it. Ava knew deep in some part of her that Sin's desire to end the boy was far more deeply rooted that Yevon's desire to flee Ava.

Through the crystal clear waters, Ava gazed upon the created monster. The pain and suffering of Spira. The bane of her existence for the last thousand years.

The whale like monster turned his great head to look back at her as she swam towards him. She summoned up her magic and threw her arms behind her. Great jets of water formed, propelling her forward faster than the powerful lug could flee her. Except…Ava could not breathe underwater like some of the people…

She held her breath as best she could. She didn't even know what she would do if she _caught_ the beast, except to perhaps have the satisfaction of being close enough to frighten it.

Ava quickly discovered, though, she the pressure was too much. Her air supply was quickly lost as she grasped onto the monster's flabby gray skin, tightening her fists around the locking mechanisms in her palms which released the foot-long blades that lodged into the creature's skin.

As the world went dark, all that Avamarine could see was the fading form of the monster just before it reared out of the water…


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm not sure if I should be concerned. No reviewers. Oh well, I don't care. I like the story, the people who read it IRL like it, so I'll continue to post it.**

**Chapter 2:**

**Fading Memories of a Lost Life**

A small part of Ava knew that Sin had saved her life, that day. Most of her still harbored resentment despite this fact, and desired to see to the great monster's death.

Kilika Island had a very distinct scent. She knew where she was before she was fully awake and realized that she had been buried by crushing piles of wood that seemed to make up the town. She first heard the song, the hymn being hummed by dozens of distraught citizens before she slowly managed to work one arm free.

The pile of rubble moved rather easily before the woman's strength.

A small gasp could be heard, "Someone, please!" The harried cry of an old woman who seemed to have spotted Ava in the wreckage caused the woman to slump back down.

A man came rushing up to the pile, and began to pull the boards away quickly. He had a commoners face, and broken eyes as he knelt down beside her and pulled the woman from the debris. "Are you alright, ma'am?" He asked, helping her to her feet.

Normally, Ava was a cruel and quick witted soul to those who asked stupid questions like that. But as Ava examined the damage around her, the broken souls and shattered village… What was once a proud town, Kilika had been built upon the shallows of the beach, mounted on humble wooden walkways, homes made of simple bamboo and palm fronds, a very earthy and natural city… What she saw brought back more of those unsavory memories.

Ava smiled up at this man, and held him tighter as she stood on her own, "Yes sir, I'll be alright. Thank you for your help."

She was soaked from head to toe. The ratty clothing she had been wearing was on its last limb, and she knew it. A cold wind swept the city, and carried the mournful sobs of new widows and orphans high into the air. It made poor Ava's heart ache.

"Wait, sir," she called the man back as he turned to leave, "I'm rather able, is there anything I can do to help?"

There was a moment of silence from him as he seemed to mull it over. Rebuilding wouldn't start until the morning, she knew, but she couldn't help but ask. "Search for more survivors. Take the dead and put them in the lake," he pointed to where a casket was being pushed into the shallow waters perhaps thirty yards away, "Take the injured to the bar." He turned and pointed to the only building that seemed to be even somewhat stable.

Ironic, thought Ava. She ignored this, though.

She nodded and moved the opposite direction he did.

A small part of her wondered what happened to the ship with the young Summoner and her rabble of Guardians. Though, she tried not to think of it. Sin had surely crushed such a tiny vessel with careless ease, and left Ava wondering more and more about what could have been.

Ava hadn't slept that night. She had spent the late hours scavenging the town up and down for survivors, unable to sleep. Two orphans in particular tore at her heart, a set of lovely twins. Lia and Lilly. Although, Lia's tiny frame had been caught beneath a fallen palm tree, snapping for poor child's spine. Ava found the sister, Lilly, hiding in the fronds of the same tree, sobbing.

It took some effort, but Ava managed to get the one twin away from the sight and lull the child to sleep on her way back to the bar.

* * *

The sun was low hung in the distance, and it was then that she saw the outline of a ship. She forfeit the child to one of the elders of the village and ran back outside, and within minutes, the outline of the S.S. Liki was clearly visible. It made her hopeful; why Sin had not crushed it, why they too were still alive.

Ava stood at the front of the docks and waited for the ship to slowly slip into port. She was at the ramp before it was even fully erected and smiled up at the party as they descended to the docks. They all appeared ok, if not a little shaken by the ordeal.

Yuna spotted the girl first, and took up her staff as she ran to her, "You dove in after Sin!" she exclaimed breathily.

"What were you _thinking_!" Interjected Lulu

Ava shook her blonde head, "I was thinking…that maybe I finally had my chance." They all appeared a little perplexed, watching the woman curiously, "Lady Yuna? Should you still allow it, I will accompany you to the Kilika temple." She offered a bow to Yuna, and remained humbly bent until the Summoner gave her answer.

She nodded vigorously, "I just hope that you're ok! You went after Sin!" She did appear genuinely worried for Ava.

She chuckled softly, and reached out to hold the young Summoner gently by one shoulder, "Don't worry about me, Lady Yuna. I fear nothing but boats, not even Sin can shake my resolve…" _anymore_. The Summoner did not appear entirely comforted by this, but nodded anyway and Ava released her.

The party travelled down the docks, Yuna offered to perform the sending for their fallen and the elders gratefully agreed to this. Ava watched with mild interest as Tidus went to watch what she had speculated to be his first sending. Too disturbed by the intricate dancing, Ava took a different path, and moved over to where the Aurochs were starting to help rebuild the more damaged parts of the city.

Wakka approached her as she watched some of the players hammer nails and straighten planks on the humble city docks. She watched him sidle up to her slowly, nervously, but did not move. Did not speak. As he got close enough, he reached up and rubbed the back of his neck, "Nice weather we havin', ya?"

Ava scowled. "Shut up." Simple. Sweet.

"You don't gotta say it like that, eh?" he waved his big hand in front of his face, "What were you thinking, ya? Chasing after Sin like that? We all thought you were a gonner."

This again? Ava was beginning to wonder how she would last with these people when they didn't understand the simple principle of personal and spiritual space. "Sin fears me." Stated Ava calmly, Wakka watched her with disbelief, "I had chased him, for fifty years, and he fled from me every time."

Wakka's mouth hung open with shock, "Fifty years?" he blurted, "How old are you?"

There was a short pause, "Don't you know never to ask a woman her age?"

"Yea, but, fifty years? You gotta be ancient." He folded his arms over his wide chest and shook his head, trying to digest the information given to him.

"Curious." He looked up at Ava as she shifted from one foot to the other, then back again. Not nervously, it was simply how she thought, "You believe me. Many don't."

Wakka shrugged his big shoulders, "Nothing's hard to believe anymore, ya know? I mean, the kid says he's from a thousand years in the past. I think anything's possible, look at Sin, ya?" he shook his head again, "Look at what he's done. He can take an entire city and turn it to scraps in a matter of minutes, ya?"

Ava listened quietly, then shook her head slowly. How could she respond to that? She believed this backwater native to be a complete airhead, and to a good extent, she was correct in such an assumption. Then again, she thought, perhaps everyone has the ability to act out of character. "Sin is life." Stated Ava calmly, the native just stared at her for a moment as she watched the Aurochs work, "Sin is death. Everything is based on that simple spiral. And, so long as Sin remains to continue that spiral, so will I remain to watch it."

She turned, and sauntered away, leaving Wakka curious and confused behind her.

After living one thousand years, Ava had learned how to make a proper exit…

* * *

Ava was ahead of everyone as they filtered into the Kilika woods. Lulu, Yuna and Kimahri were the first ones there, awaiting their two straggling members. The woman stood a good ways off, feet planted solidly on the ground, arms crossed, palms gently applying pressure to the locks on her blades. There was rarely a moment when the woman wasn't on full alert, not that it always helped in any matter.

The Kilika woods were deceivingly peaceful, with glints of sunlight splaying through colorful canopies to dapple the rich dirt and soil with sunlight freckles. Birds twittered melodiously in the higher boughs, and the more innocent and colorful creatures took to making the forest a living place. Granted, the occasional crusader, garbed in armor and donning a blade of some sort, would run by, offering a bow to the lady Yuna as they passed.

Though she supposedly wasn't close enough to hear the conversation going on, nor was she welcomed into such, she listened to the dark mage and the Summoner converse quietly.

"You don't honestly believe him, do you?" Lulu asked, "That he's from Zanarkand?"

Yuna paused, trying to think of a soft rebuttal, "What of Sir Jecht? He claims that he is his father. They can't both be lying, can they?"

_He Is from Zanarkand._ Thought Ava, though she knew it wasn't her place to butt into the situation. She was there to assist from the sidelines. She reminded herself that these people weren't her friends. Friends were a thing of the past. Cruel entities that had little reserve for kindness or transparent promises. _I'm not bitter._ She added to herself with a soft chuckle.

"What makes you think he'll be a good Guardian?" Lulu returned, "He's so clueless."

Yuna fell silent. The forest grew loud with the sounds of life. Ava suddenly felt very alone again, a recurrent emotion in her life, a constant, the only constant.

Wakka and Tidus came walking up then, and Yuna presented them with her thoughts.

"When it comes to fiends, he's a newbie." Wakka concluded. Ava wasn't really paying attention to their conversation, as she focused on something else. A distraction, a lizard on a nearby tree who stared up into the sky. Aimlessly.

"Hey Ava!" Wakka called when their conversation finally ended. The sounds of the forest faded as her concentration fell. She looked up at the native, questioningly, "We leaving, let's get a move on ya?"

A small part of her had been listening to the forest as a whole. One thousand years of practice, she had been able to teach herself how to hear everything when her concentration was right. She cinched her jaw and approached the group with folded arms, "There's a powerful fiend in the heart of the woods," she pointed to where two of the crusaders conversed on a bridge not far from where they were, and the large sleeping fiend behind them, "My Lady Summoner, there are routes through the trees, should you desire to avoid the beast."

Yuna blinked. Ava had been nowhere near the crusaders, nor could she see the fiend from where she had been standing. Ava could piece together all those thoughts that crossed the Summoner's mind as the emotions carried upon her face, "How did you…?"

"The decision is up to you and your Guardians. I will follow you wherever."

The group fell silent, watching the woman who secretly feared she might have just given away too much. Her eyes met Lulu's, who glared at her with meaningful discontent. Ava could see that she made the woman nervous, her presence was unsettling even. This woman, Lulu, obviously did not like the quiet enigmas like Ava.

"I say we go for it!" Tidus exclaimed, raising his sword. Wakka chuckled and Lulu rolled her eyes, the tense moment broken.

"Guardians, ready?" Yuna asked, blushing a little when all the attention turned to her.

It was then, just as they were going to start towards the bridge, when Yuna seemed to notice something. "Oh, Ava, how are you going to fight?"

The woman paused, confused for a moment. Then she realized what the Summoner had meant, and gave a small chuckle, "Remember, Lady Summoner. Don't worry about me too much, you know?" This did not put the Summoner's mind at ease, but she nodded and turned down the bridge.

As they approached, the two Crusaders guarding the bridge stood at attention and moved in their way. One was taller, with red hair and a sharp face, a very experienced Crusader she reasoned. The other was smaller, with rounded features, black hair and lighter clothing and armor – his eyes were still innocent and inexperienced, unlike his red headed companion.

"Halt!" said the smaller of the two.

"The fiend standing before you is Ochu, Lord of the Wood." Said the red headed Crusader, "We've had trouble with this one before. Remember, discretion is the better part of valor."

They stepped aside, unwilling to impede the Summoner's path. As Ava passed the red haired man, she paused a moment, "Selfishness too, is the better part of Valor." Spoken from experience, Ava moved on without another word to the men.

Ochu perked up, its long tentacle vines waving in the air as it wasted no time rushing the group. Lulu, Tidus and Wakka threw themselves on the front line, taking the initial blows of the fiend's attacks. Kimahri, though, quickly took Wakka's place in the lineup and jabbed his lance into the plant creature's side. I shrieked and hopped forward, thrusting poisonous barbs into the Ronso's side.

Kimahri fell to his knees quickly, but foolishly remained. Yuna had tended to Wakka, and he was preparing to jump in for the Ronso's place when Ava stopped him. "If I may?" she asked with a light hearted, though somewhat frightening grin.

Nobody had seen Ava's weapons tucked in the sleeves of her jacket. She sauntered up to Kimahri's spot and instantly her heart pounded out a battle's beat. "What're you gonna do barehanded?" Tidus called from the other side of Lulu.

"The fiend is weak against fire." Stated Ava, having watched Lulu focus her fire magic on it, "Just watch this." She released the locks in her palms, the mechanism attached to her arms released the blades as she summoned up her magic and charged the beast. Her blades exploded in a small blaze as she crossed her arms before her and lashed out in a feral strike.

Ochu shrieked and actually stumbled back by the critical blow, two oozing gashes X'd on its side. Ava sprang back to her position and, with the flick of her wrists, the blades slid back into their holsters.

"That was incredible!" gawked Tidus.

"Interesting." Mused Lulu.

"Focus on the fight!" Ava commanded, "That thing isn't dead yet." No sooner had she spoken those words then the creature lashed out with more vines to strike at Lulu.

Tidus lashed out, and then Lulu focused one more fire spell before she had to back out, the poison getting to her. Ava, though, was a good combination of speed and power. Granted, the necessary energy needed to use even a single attack left her too winded to dodge oncoming attacks, and suddenly, she appeared to be the fiend's target.

She battled through three lashes of the vines, doling out heavy pain to Ochu after each devastating blow. Finally, she had to falter back and a renewed Lulu returned to take her place, releasing the final blow that made the monster collapse in a twitching heap before it vanished in a cloud of pyre flies.

"That was amazing!" the dark haired Crusader ran up to them after the fight was ended and gawked at the group. Ava hung back, trying to play off her wounds as nothing as to not worry the Summoner. Ava knew she was better than this…

"A Summoner and her Guardians. Very impressive." Speculated the elder of the two, and handed over a valuable Elixir to Yuna. Once more, Ava just watched.

Once back on the narrow path, Tidus continued on to an irritable and very sore Ava. "That was amazing!" he said, fisting his hands in front of him as if he too had a pair of her weapons, "You were like, ha! Ha!" he lashed his hands out in a mocking manner in front of him, and everyone chuckled, except Ava who failed to see the humor, "Can I see those swords again?" he asked finally, hopeful.

Ava was definitely tempted to _show_ him her blades. Though, she reasoned against this, and shook her head, "My blades are not toys to be mocked." She stated calmly, "Besides, something tells me you'll be seeing them again very soon."

No sooner had she said those words, than she turned to face an oncoming Dinonix in an attempted ambush. One fell sweep and her blade sprang out and the poor creature mortally impaled itself upon her. It vanished into pyre flies before it hit the ground.

"How do you do that?" Lulu's voice was now impatient. Ava looked into her face and saw that she tired of her; she didn't like her, didn't know her, and was disturbed by her abilities.

"I listen." Ava said truthfully, "While you busy yourself with thoughts and words, I spend my time listening. The world has a pattern, and in that pattern, I can find faults and use them to my advantage." Ava wasn't surprised by the fact that nobody seemed comforted. They were all uneasy with her presence. As she looked to each one, she found a general consensus, _I'm too…abnormal…?_

As they continued to walk, Ava slowly hung back until she walked directly beside Lulu. The most pressing of her problems, at the moment. The black mage could prove herself to be very persuasive, and possibly a threat to Ava once they got back on the ship if she convinced Yuna not to use her cure spells on her. She shuddered at the thought.

"I'm really not a bad person." Ava began.

"I never said you were." Replied the dark mage, who, like Ava, stared straight ahead, not looking at the other. There was a long pause, then, "Your abilities… You're not human, are you?"

Ava was thankful that they appeared to be far enough behind that only the Ronso could hear them, and he already knew most of this information. "In a way." Ava said quietly, "I was, and then Sin turned me into something…less than human. Over the many years, I have taken the curses and turned them to my advantages."

"What are you then?" she demanded, calmer now. Apparently she was content that she was getting something close enough to straight answers.

"An Angel of Sin."

Lulu paused for a long moment now, "Ava…" she finally said, "Avamarine. But… They were eradicated twenty years ago!"

Ava shook her head, "I am the last, and the Priest's at Bevelle tried to keep my existence unknown. The only creature on the planet capable of repelling Sin. Who knew what would have happened if anyone else found out."

"That is why you chased after Sin, back on the ship then?"

Ava shook her blonde head as the group rounded a bend, and found themselves standing at the base of the stone steps leading up to Kilika. "That…" she said, "That was personal." She ended the conversation there, approaching the group to head up the steps.

Lulu was at least a bit happier. Though her pale face didn't express it, Ava could sense it. Ava also knew that Lulu would keep that vital fact about their companion to herself, having gotten the necessary answers she needed. She now knew that Ava also had a personal agenda she was keeping to, one that somehow involved the Summoner and her rather large group of Guardians.

"You wanna race, huh?" Tidus stood at a bend in the steps, watching the Aurochs wordlessly challenge him with mocking chuckles.

Wakka stood up to the 'starting line' and chuckled, "Yuna, will you do the honors?"

Ava sensed ahead, but her previous injuries were impeding her hearing.

"READY?" called the Summoner.

Something wasn't right though… The rhythm…

"Wai-"

Yuna took off running, and her Guardians and the Aurochs right behind her.

"Stop! You fools!" Ava stumbled after them, Lulu hot on her heels sensing Ava's distress before Wakka came rushing back down.

"Quick, everyone! Sin Spawn!"

"You really do have a sixth sense for this." Lulu commented just before they reached the plateau.

Ava made no comment. This next battle wasn't going to turn out favorably for her. She quickly did a mental check. Poisoned, undernourished (she hadn't eaten since Besaid), exhausted (hadn't slept the night before)…

She wasn't liking the look of that shell, though. Her blades would be awkward and inaccurate with the hand-like vines, and virtually useless for the sheer amount of power she would need to penetrate it. She hung back, letting Tidus, Wakka and Lulu out first.

They lashed out the vine like hands, taking down the first one with ease. Tidus, though, didn't last long, and had to falter out and Kimahri quickly took his place. "Why aren't you fighting?" demanded Tidus as he watched Ava stand well back in the fray. She made it obvious that she wasn't going to be fighting anytime soon.

"Not yet." Ava stated calmly.

Lulu's magic felled another of the hand like tentacles, which burrowed down into the ground. All attention turned to the shell, which only Kimahri appeared able to properly strike. Lulu's magic worked well, but Wakka's ball and Tidus's sword did nothing against the metallic crust.

Finally, though, after a good while, the beast burst forth from his shell. His mouth oozed a noxious green pollen, and Ava cringed slightly. Kimahri and Wakka both had to filter out for Tidus, and Ava. She tried to appear calm, composed and fit as she paced her beats, although, her vision wavered violently. Things weren't looking good for the woman, in every literal way!

The beast lashed out first at Tidus, he struck back, and Ava flipped out her blades and charged the beast with all she had! As big as it was, though, she missed the beast by feet, and it countered with a wicked strike that sent her flying back. She stood to her feet, trying not to sway.

"Hey hey! He's over there!" Wakka shouted from the sidelines.

"Shut up!" she huffed, "You use a ball for a weapon." Her insult faltered out though. The Sin Spawn reared back as Lulu pelted him with fire, Tidus lashed out with his sword once again, but Ava didn't have time to attack before the beast let out a great sigh. The green gas poured out onto the cement steps, and everyone quickly covered their face, though, it appeared in vain… Ava's vision doubled, swayed, blurred, then everything just went dark…

* * *

"_It's kind of strange, isn't it?" Illaes stood at the edge of a mountainside cliff, staring off into the distance with a grange gleam in his unreadable eyes, "How peaceful the world can be, how at ease I can feel, even knowing that somewhere, someone is suffering because we're still alive." He appeared thoughtful, but the woman who sat in a crevice of rocks on the mountainside behind him knew that just because he appeared, didn't mean that he was._

_He wasn't a distinct shape, though. His colors were dark and his features were blurred. The desperate part of Ava's mind had censored the man from her mind, an attempt to preserve her already limited mentality. _

_She paused a moment, contemplating this. "I am not at ease over this." Ava stated calmly, following his eyes out to the sea's horizon. The beach below cast a soft sound over the scene, creating an ironic peace to settle over the lands. "But I know that we alone now hold the power to end this. That is what puts my mind at ease."_

_From her angle, Ava could just see the smallest of smiles touch his lips. How he could smile despite everything was always a conundrum to her. There were times that she knew that he had more weighing down on his shoulders than she did, knowing that the woman he traveled with and adored so wholly kept the deepest and darkest secrets from him. He shifted his weight and turned to face her. "You're never at ease. You need to learn how to lighten up."_

_

* * *

_The scene blurred, faded and Ava groaned out loud and turned on her side. Absently she wondered what aspect about the last few days made her think of _that _incident in particular. She wasn't often a sentimental or attached person. Illaes wasn't an exception. She groaned again, and turned once more onto her back.

She opened her eyes slowly and found herself starting straight up at a low cement ceiling. She was on a bed, the room around her was circular and quiet despite the two priests who sat meditating at the other end. She sat up suddenly and turned to sit with her legs dangling off the bed, recognizing one of the rooms from the Kilika Temple. They must have taken her there to rest after the Sin Spawn struck her down.

Humiliation filled her – how could she let herself be so foolish as to face that creature injured as she was? Sometimes she cured her nature, the fact that she was stubborn beyond belief. She hadn't needed the Summoner's help, and the cost had been falling before a weaker fiend. One of the priests stood to assist her, but she held up a stubborn hand and shook her head, "I'm fine, return to what you were doing."

To her surprise, she discovered that as she stood, she was indeed fine. The Summoner must have healed her before going to the Fayth. Thoughtful, she figured as she moved for the door. "How long has the Summoner and her Guardians been in the Cloister?" she paused at the door to ask the monks this.

The monks were quiet for a long moment, and then shook their heads, "The Summoner has only been in a few moments, m'lady."

Ava nodded and opened the door to leave. The sunlight filled the woman's vision now, and made her flinch slightly in trepidation. The stony plateau of the Kilika temple reminded her very much of not-so-fond times not far in her past. The fire that burned beneath the glass bubble in the ground kept the stony platforms constantly warm, and the pillars that made the elegant rimming of the sector made her feel very barred in. Overall, Temples put the woman at ease, but she ignored the feeling.

A scantily clad woman wearing nothing more than bright laces, a half-skirt cut off in the front and a bikini walked out of the temple doors with a thug of a man behind her, disproportionately sized with an enormous bare chest and smaller legs in brightly colored pants. She appeared to be conversing with this man, and Ava listened in as she closed the door behind her.

"What a rabble," the dark skinned woman drawled on, "And that woman thinks she can be a Summoner?"

There was no question in Ava's mind. She approached the woman as she neared the steps, "She has more chance than you do," she began, "She has the Summoner's Soul, unlike you." Ava could see it, or rather, couldn't see it. The fire of desire and change that burned in the heart of Summoner's, the same fire she saw in Braska, the same she saw in Yuna.

Dona whirled on her high heeled boots and scrutinized the woman. "And what do you know about the Summoner's soul? Are _you_ one of her Guardians too? Why aren't you with her then?"

Ava approached slowly. This woman, like her, was feral, ruthless and none-too-kind. "I am a comrade. A friend. I have seen Summoner's better than you, I have seen them fail. Yuna is determined, she has a heart for the people, a smile to bring peace. What have you, other than a lust to feel important?"

Dona seethed at this. Ava could see the woman's eyes burning with fury.

"I will not stand by idly to see you speak of another, especially a Summoner, your better, behind their back. Fare well, Lady Summoner, and may this journey show you a heart." Ava retreated before the Summoner could get a word in edge wise. But she could tell that her words had sparked something - a deep unsettling in her soul, stirring how the woman thought. She may never defeat Sin, but at least she might have found purpose.

She approached the Temple, and awaited Yuna's return, sitting outside the main entrance.


	3. Chapter 3

3

Forever is never Long Enough (Part 1)

* * *

Ava sat there for a few hours, listening to the hymn of the fayth… It was an unnerving sound, something that the woman had never gotten used to, not matter how many times she heard it. The soulful sound made her want to cry…

* * *

Back on the S.S. Winno, Ava had fled to the back of the boat, staring hopelessly up at the dark abyss of the sky. The seasickness returned with ease, but Ava refused to go find Yuna. She didn't need the woman, she didn't need to feel better. She just focused on counting the stars…

She was hungry… She hadn't eaten in three days and had exerted so much energy in her endeavor against sin, her fight against the Ochou and the Sin Spawn, she was growing weak. Weariness struck her, and it only intensified the rolling of the ship against the cruel, cruel waves. Nothing was going right for the woman, and it was making her very, very angry.

Nothing was going right. Hell, nothing ever did.

For a good while, she slipped in and out of consciousness. Counting stars in the waking gaps, until her dreams and reality blended into one…

"_You see that?" The familiar voice of an old friend made her head swim and her heart jump. In her dizzy consciousness, she followed the ghostly outline of his hand, pointing up towards the sky, "That's the constellation for Yevon." She could hear the rare smile in his voice. He was enjoying this time._

_Ava smiled, forgetting about the present to bask in the glow of an easier past. "Yevon gets enough attention, he doesn't need stars worshipping him now…" She nestled her head more comfortably against his lap._

"_I suppose you would be the one to know. Perhaps you're right." Gentle, ghostly fingers touched her forehead, and brushed the hair from her face. She smiled even wider, "How are you feeling?"_

_She paused, just letting those fingers smooth over her skin, "Better," she said, "Much better." Ava looked up at the sky, seeking out a particular constellation, then pointed to it, "The Warrior and the Lover." She said._

_There was a pause, then a light chuckle filled the night air, "Fitting." He said._

"What's fitting?" The foreign voice startled her out of her dreamed reality, and Ava sat up suddenly.

"Huh, what?"

Yuna stood a few feet away, head canted to the side, staff in her hands, watching the woman with curious amusement. "What's fitting?" She blushed, then giggled, "I'm sorry, you were talking in your sleep, I couldn't help but listen."

Ava wondered if this might constitute for eavesdropping, but shrugged it away and dropped back down to the desk. The world spun for a moment above her before it all came back into focus, "Oh," she said after a pause, "I suppose. I was just, thinking about the constellations."

Yuna sauntered up, then moved to sit down with a soft, "Oh." She looked up at the sky, "Which one?"

Ava searched the sky a moment before she pointed at the right group of stars in the abstract, and ambiguous shape of a man and a woman standing back to back, "The Warrior and the Lover." She paused, "Do you know the story?"

Yuna shook her head, and her dual hued eyes turned to Ava in wonder, waiting to hear the story.

"The Warrior has been a constellation for as long as anyone can remember. He was alone for centuries, watching over the mortal world. It wasn't until after Sin was created that a Summoner came, of such beauty and purity that he could only wish to watch her from a more personal space. Thus, the Warrior descended unto the realm of the mortals, and became her one and only Guardian, accompanying her throughout her journey. Needless to say, they both fell in love." She paused, and watched Yuna's eyes fall to the deck below, "When they reached the hills of the decrepit Zanarkand, the Warrior confessed his undying love, and begged her with all of his being to abandon her quest, and return with him to the Celestial Realm where they would live together in peace for all eternity. It was at the base of the final summoning, that the Summoner submit to his pleas and he took her from this world, and into his. Although, she never forgave him for what he did; for taking the calm away from the land. Thus is why they stand back to back, eternally in love, and eternally in turmoil."

Yuna was silent for a long moment. Ava watched her face, but it was blank and unreadable. She let the young Summoner sort out these words and a long moment later, she finally spoke, "It is easy…" she said, "To abandon everything for love. But I do not wish to do so."

"That is comforting to hear."

"Ava," Yuna said after another silent moment, "You're a strong woman, have you never considered being a Summoner?"

"No," she said almost instantly, "The life of Temples and Guardians is not mine."

"Why?"

Ava frowned, "It's a long story."

This didn't convince the Summoner, but Ava's skating answers were all anyone ever seemed to get. Yuna stood, and straightened out her skirt, then raised her staff to heal the seasick woman, "Don't," said Ava, Yuna paused, looking at her questioningly, "It will make the night…more bearable."

The Summoner was confused, but gave a silent "Oh," then walked away, "Sleep well, Lady Ava." She said in that innocent, airy voice.

* * *

The sound of a ship's horn blasting into the air made Ava jump nearly three feet. The woman had counted stars until she finally fell asleep despite her sea sickness.

She lay on the deck, groaning out loud as she turned and moved towards the edge, grasping the rope railing and hoisting herself up. Her stomach churned unpleasantly, and she waited for the dizzy spells to fade away before she yawned and shook her head. More horns blasted, and the air was filled with a certain excitement exuding from the approaching city. From where she was, she could see the Blitz Dome, the great mechanical arches turning, balloons and streamers in the air. Everyone was happy despite everything…

She stumbled and made her way to the bow, yawning some more, unable to shake the sleepiness from herself.

"Sleep well?" Wakka's big hand came down and patted Ava on the back, surprising her. She jumped and faced him, then rubbed her eyes.

"Oh, uhm." She cleared her throat, "Yea, sorry, I've always been slow to wake up." During those rare times when she let herself fall asleep that was. Muttering to herself, she watched Wakka laugh loudly, looking as excited as Tidus, who was was practically hanging off the side of the ship. How could people be so cheery at this hour?

"You gonna root for us, ya?" He asked, rubbing the back of his neck. "We could always use a few more fans."

Ava paused, and watched the gaudy orange haired native for a long moment, then turned her gaze back to Luca, and shook her head. "I'm not staying. I'm only passing through, I'm afraid."

"Aw, come on! Stay for the game, you said yourself you was a fan." He made that infuriating laugh again.

"I…" she folded her hands over her chest and sighed. "I…" she cinched her jaw. The fact that she wanted to stay, despite everything, told her that she had already gotten too close to these people. "I will watch the first round. But, the stadium makes me nervous."

The man grinned, triumphant, and patter her shoulder again, "That's the spirit!" he moved on to go talk to Tidus, and the woman shook her head. She had no intention of staying, but Wakka wouldn't know the difference.

She moved towards the cabin, just as Yuna came bounding up. She smiled at Ava, "Aren't you excited?" she asked.

Ava frowned and shook her head, "Yea," she lied, then moved back to the back of the boat. The docks were approaching quickly, and she could hear the distant murmur of people from the city.

It took only a few minutes before the boat was docked. The gangplank was raised, and the patrons on the boat began to filter off. Yuna and her group were of the first to exit, with Ava following close behind.

Yuna paused halfway down the plank, and turned around, "Miss Ava,"

"No." Ava answered the woman before she even got to ask her question. "I am not a Guardian, Yuna, and you've plenty here to aid you through your journey. Do not think that this is a personal rejection, though. My life is as far from the temples as I can manage, anymore." She patted the Summoner on the shoulder, then moved to walk past her.

"But…why though?"

Ava moved past her wordlessly, but then something happened that surprised her. A blue furry hand grabbed her shoulder and spun her around, "Kimahri want Ava to stay. Ava has been alone too long."

She blinked, staring up at the Ronso with awe. She had never seen the blue cat so bold, but she sighed and shook her head. "Far too long, old friend." She stepped back, away from that hand, "But, for longer still. I am not a Guardian –"

"Not a Guardian then." He said, "A friend."

She frowned, and shook her head, and from somewhere within herself, cursed. Wordlessly she pulled herself from the Ronso's grip, turned, and made her way down the docks. These weren't her people, no, they were just that. People. And people lied. People hurt. People didn't last. Ava immersed herself in this dark mantra as she moved through the crowd of people, muscling her way through when she had to.

"Did you hear?" one man's voice cut above the rest, something strange instinct picking up that particular voice in a drone of people, "Maester Seymour is here, as is Maester Mika."

Ava froze as ice ran through her veins. Her muscles seemed to stop working, and her body threatened to crumble right then and there. Mika? Maesters – of course they would be in Luca for the tournament, but Ava had not thought of this. That had been one thing that she honestly had not taken into account, and such a mistake could very well have cost the woman her life. When feeling returned to her numb body, the took off in a full sprint, shoving past anyone in her way, rushing through the stadium at top speed, then down the road and into the main part of the city.

She reached the town center, panting. She didn't know what to do, she didn't know where to go. Of course, the Mi'hen Highroad was the logical choice, but she had come to Luca for a reason. The area was cleared of people, everyone was at the stadium or the docks – but of course, she knew one man who remained in the city.

Weighing her options, the turned, and rushed up the steps by the café. The tall building making the inverted dome-like center feel all the more entrapping. She rushed for a little wooden door, hidden in the shadowed hollow between two buildings. It screeched as it was opened, and she entered the blackened room, letting the door fall shut behind her.

The room was of immeasurable size, as nothing could be seen except the shallow circle of light at the center, lit by a window atop the building high above. Metal grates over the window cast a shadow in this light, what appeared to be a metal, mechanical wing. Ava moved into this circle, and stood, waiting.

"It has been some time, Lady Avamarine." The cool, deep male voice came from everywhere, almost disembodied. "Some…twenty years I would say. My, my, that outfit certainly has been through some horror, has it not?"

"Twenty years of hardships," she said, "I need a new one, fast."

The chuckle that ensued sent shivers up her spine, and she swallowed hard, waiting for a response, "You're rarely in such a hurry. Could the angel be a little fearful, now that Spira's leaders are so…close."

"Little goes on in this city that you don't know about, Damien." She said, shedding her worn jacket and tossing it aside. "Could you sharpen these as well? They've lost their edge." She unbuckled the blades from her forearms and tossed them with her jacket.

A shadowed hand took the objects, leaving Ava standing there vulnerable.

Damien chuckled again, "You're wrong, Lady Avamarine." He said, "There is nothing that goes on in this city that I don't know about. There is little that goes on in all of Spira that I do not know about. How else would I know why the Maesters want you so badly." Ava frowned, but remained silent. "I place before you, a choice." He continued. There was a sound, a clink, in the darkness, "You can either run and hide like the coward you're not, or take that which is rightfully yours. This may be your only chance, after all."

She folded her arms over her chest, "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, it would be no fun if I just told you. Then again, the perils may be endless."

"What are you talking about you old spider," she snapped, "The Maesters are here – I have no intention of being a slave in their dungeons again."

"That which has been long since lost will be found." He smiled, and a black jacket fell at her feet. She reached down to pick it up, "A Guardian long lost to Lovers and Summoners has returned, but if you run now, you may never get him back. Not to mention, the High Summoner's daughter gives you great chance at your final reconciliation. Assuming she lives, of course."

The new jacket was heavy, as Ava put it on, though, it seemed to fit perfectly. All a fine, heavy material with golden seams, reaching down to her ankles. "What do you mean if she lives?" Ava asked quietly.

"The Summoner is to be kidnapped by the Al Behd… Do you like the jacket? It's a nice fit on you."

She frowned, unable to deny how perfectly it hung. "Why are you telling me this? And why is this so heavy?"

"Oh! You'll like that. I've interwoven a good chain mail into it for added protection. It's strong."

"Why are you giving me this information?"

"Temptation, my dear. You can run, and promise yourself the morning sun tomorrow, or you can stay and laugh at danger like the good old days. With high risk comes high reward."

Ava gritted her teeth. Her blades slid into the light, stopping by her feet. She bent down and picked them up, then paused, "These are different." She said, pulling the sleeves of her new jacket back to strap them on anyway. She never argued when Damien gave her something new, he never seemed to disappoint.

"This has a sharper blade, a more lightweight alloy that will not bend or break. Heat resistant and, the best part is, it amplifies magic." Ava blinked and released the trigger. The blades thrust out of their sheath with a resounding SNAP and glittered even in the low light.

"You never seem to give me a choice, old friend." She said, releasing the lock so they slipped back in. "But it always comes at a high price…"

The bemused chuckle told her that she was right. "The politics of Spira are frail, should the blackened innards of its beloved government be exposed for what it really was, all of the country would fall apart. Anarchy would run rampant in the streets."

"You always did love chaos."

He chuckled, "I enjoy my freedom more." He said, "And I enjoy the freedom of my people. Sometimes it seems that I alone keep this world whole." He sighed, "But I grow weary, and I cannot keep everything at bay for much longer. The sword is about to fall, and with it, I will bring the world to light."

She smiled finally, and turned towards the door, moving back out. She opened the door, paused, and then moved back out.

"Yevon damn you, Damien," she spat. Just as she was looking out over the town center, a pair of Al Behd were dragging poor Yuna away. "HEY! STOP!" She took off, flipping out her new blades.

She leapt off the top of the steps, curled in her feet and prepared to launch herself when one of the Al Behd turned and threw something at her. She blinked as the little object latched onto her arm and sent a horrifying jolt through her system. The little current left her numb on her left side, so she crashed as she hit the ground, rolling heavily as she watched them get away. "HEY!"

She finally got to her feet and started running lamely after them as Tidus rushed up, "Hey!" she turned, "Did you see-"

"That way!" She started running, feeling regained in her feet. Kimahri was close behind, Tidus beside her as they ran towards the stadium. Lulu was running up to them, "Where in Spira have you been?"

"Now isn't the time," Ava barked, "Come on, they're headed for the docks. They're going to try and get her away from here."

"I thought you were leaving?" Lulu was surprisingly fast, matching Ava's pace.

Ava just growled, "Forces beyond my control are forcing me down a different path."

"New jacket?"

"Can we focus?" she shot, "There!" Yuna's captor was just rushing into the docks as they came up. "You catch up, I'm going to go hold things down." Before the others could protest, Ava took a deep breath and tapped into a bit of her power. Her speed picked up, and she shot ahead of the others, leaping over machina and Al Behd as she rushed for Yuna.

The Al Behd ran onto a ship, and Ava leapt the distance easily, following him into the hatch leading to the underbelly. He was shouting something in his native tongue, and Ava didn't bother trying to translate. Four soldiers jumped in her way, but she easily smashed past the first two. Something struck her shoulder, a soldier wielding a knife. She reached out and took his wrist, twisting and jerking, she threw herself forward, and the man flew out. She ducked underneath another blow, rose and kicked out.

This one was thrown back, crumbling down the stairs as more soldiers came piling in from the hallways below. Ava released her blades and rushed down the stairs, carving up the closest soldier, spinning to elbow the second. There was a gunshot, the woman stumbled but charged forward with a roar, ramming the two next soldiers into the wall. There was a resounding crack as they fell, and she lashed out to finish off the last two before they could swing at her, one through the chest, the other through the throat.

She was panting, and felt the warm trickle of blood down her side. Apparently, the chain mail didn't do well against a gunshot at close range. She ignored the pain, to be dealt with later, and ran back down the hall, sheathing her blades.

She caught up with Yuna's captor, no more soldiers barring her path, and rushed him with all her might before he could respond. In the close confines of the hallway, and the darkness of the space, Ava had the fullest of advantages, ramming him against the wall, punching him so hard, his mask cracked, and he fell to the ground unconscious.

With the danger over, Ava stood there a moment, panting, shivering. Cold sweat ran down her back, and she bent over to grab her knees.

"Miss Ava!" Yuna exclaimed, appearing mildly shaken.

"Are you OK?" she breathed, standing again. Pain ripped through her side, making her wince physically.

She gasped, "You're hurt!"

Ava wavered suddenly. She was running on more than just empty. Her reserve energy was tapping out, and suddenly, everything was very unsteady.

"Miss Ava!" Yuna gasped out just as the woman stumbled back, gasping for air. The world was spinning…

"We can't stay here, it's only a matter of time before some of these guys wake up," she said, turning her head. The world lurched and spun, her nausea returning, "Ugh, come on," she reached out, searching for something to brace herself with.

Yuna offered a hand, helping the woman up. "Here, let me at least heal you!"

"Hold on." Ava reached down, leaning against the wall to examine the injury. The bullet had gone through the jacket, and buried just under her ribs, right beneath the skin. She reached down to pull the piece out, able to see the end of the little golden bullet.

Yuna slapped the woman's hand away, "What are you doing!?"

"If I don't pull it out, it'll be more trouble than it's worth!" she spat, "Wh-what are you doing?"

"Hold still," Yuna had a look of terror on her face as she reached out with one of her pale, delicate hands and grasped the exposed piece of the bullet, tugging it just lightly.

Ava grimaced, "Fool girl!" she gasped as pain flared through her abdomen, "Rip it out! DO IT!"

Yuna jumped, and pulled the metal piece out all at once, sending another wave of pain through her. Instantly, the Summoner cast a healing spell on Ava, which eased the pain, but the dizziness remained… Yuna looped Ava's arm around her shoulder, and helped her down the hall and up the steps. The woman was losing energy with each step, and fading in and out of consciousness.

The hatch whirred, and the heavy door swung open slowly, coming to a loud, sharp stop. Ava groaned, and Yuna helper her outside. Lulu and the others rushed up, "What happened?" she asked breathily.

"She's hurt," Yuna started.

"Not hurt," Ava groaned, then released Yuna and dropped into a sitting position, her stomach growling loudly, "Huuuuuuuuungry!"

* * *

**Alright, sorry for the long update. Honestly, I didn't think anyone even read this anymore, but I have a few reviewers which has kind of encouraged me. 3 Thanks you guys!**

**See, things are about to get really fun. I had to cut this chapter in half, because the full thing is, well, about twenty something pages. More fun in the next chapter, more questions answered, yadda yadda. Hope you guys had fun!**


	4. Chapter 3 Part 2

**I am warning you now… This chapter contains Yaoi! For those of you who might not know what that is, it's male on male action, but this is a T+ story, so I kept it…pretty clean. YES it IS SIGNIFICANT to the story. Why? Well, keep reading and you'll find out.**

**By the way, to the person who asked me in the reviews: No, Ava's weapon is not based off of Assassins Creed. I have always been a huge fan of the arm blades, but yes, her blades and her fighting style is reminiscent of AC. Thanks everyone who reviewed!**

Chapter 3

Forever is never long Enough (Part 2)

"You haven't eaten since Besaid?" Lulu's incredulous tone was like a knife. Suddenly Ava was five again, being scolded for something she didn't quite understand. Perhaps that was a natural talent though, she would guess from how Lulu always held herself – a natural parent.

"I get seasick," Ava said, "I was a fool to eat in Besaid!" They were still on the boat, waiting for it to return to the docks. Ava was sitting against the railing, eating a piece of bread that Lulu happened to have on her. It wasn't much, but it was enough. The food was gone in minutes.

"Yuna," Lulu turned her exasperated tone to the Summoner, "What happened?"

The Summoner was silent for a moment, then shook her head. "Tidus and I went to go to the Café, where I had heard that Sir Auron was a-"

"Auron?" Ava looked up. Something about her had changed, her eyes had turned violent. She stood suddenly, and judging by the startled look on the face of the two women, she didn't appear happy, "He's here? In Luca? Right under my nose… Damn you Damien, why do you always have to be right."

"Th-That's _Sir_ Auron!" Yuna corrected with a certain amount of bravado that seemed to be rare for her.

Ava folded her arms solidly over her chest, "He'll be the _Late_ Sir Auron if I ever get my hands on him." She spat, walking to the bow, the docks coming up close.

Yuna appeared to be ready to say something, when her air changed and something seemed to change, "You…knew Sir Auron?" she asked, coming up behind the scornful woman.

"No." she spat, clenching her jaw, "I knew the fake Auron. I knew the kind that made promises and sought adventure. I knew the Auron that had your back whenever you needed him."

"That sounds a lot like the Sir Auron I've heard of." Yuna breathed, her good nature clashing with Ava's distinct rage.

"Don't believe everything you hear, lady Yuna." She said. The boat came to a stop, and everyone filed out. "The man is a cruel liar, he abandoned me when I needed him most, and I paid dearly for my overly trusting nature."

"Auron's not like that!" Tidus's voice cut through. Ava ignored him.

As they moved down the docks, she felt more questions in the air when they saw the blitzball reel on the screen above them. Technically, Ava had stayed for the first round. She still had the opportunity to leave, now that the Summoner was safe…but the promise of Auron made her foolishly cheat danger, just as her friend had foretold.

The Aurochs were tied up, two and two, and Wakka didn't appear to be in the best of conditions. Ava sighed.

"Hey!" Yuna turned as Ava was walking away, "Where are you going?"

"Lady Yuna," she sighed, "Meet me at the steps to the Mi'hen Highroad after the game is over. I have more business to take care of." She sighed, closing her eyes, "Await my return and…I will consider following you as a Guardian, should you so desire." She turned and continued walking.

(Warning: Yaoi ahead!)

Ava was on her way up towards the entrance to the Mi'hen Highroad when she came across a rather interesting scene. Hands in her pockets as she made her way up, she heard two familiar voices. Curious about their hushed tones, she hopped up and managed to peek over the top of the steps, to watch the scene going on…

It was the Crusaders from Kilika. She strained for names for a moment, but then realized she had never gotten them. She watched, though, with innate interest.

The smaller of the two, the one with the dark hair and skin paced the ground uneasily, nervous about something. His face was twisted with disparity, his eyes dark with a sea of emotions. It was strange, that this one had such emotional eyes for a Crusader. "Sir," he began, "I don't have a good feeling about this!"

The red haired man sighed and shook his head, folding his arms over his chest. Ava studied his face, deeply etched with a practiced mask. She almost couldn't see the same worry in him, "Gatta," he began, "Leave the formalities. We're friends here." He sighed, "Now, what don't you have a good feeling about?"

Gatta gritted his teeth, "I just…I don't feel good about this operation, I'm worried about it." He hugged himself, everything about him showing obvious and distinct insecurity.

"I've been in operations like this before." The larger said, walking up to his comrade. He reached out and patted the boy's head with his hand, and kept it there, "I feel good about this. Sin is going to die."

Gatta reached up and took his friend's wrist, guiding it down to cup the side of his face. Ava blinked, as things clicked in her mind. "Sin is always reborn, Luzzu. Sin always comes back, he takes lives wherever he goes and he doesn't care who he takes! I can't let him take you!"

Luzzu's eyes filled with pain. Ava realized then and there that he knew the most probable outcome of whatever was going to happen. She had seen that look before, and a mixture of hatred, anger and resentment rose in her chest. This man was going to do whatever necessary to protect the other…even if it meant hurting him beyond all belief.

Even if it meant destroying a huge part of him to do so…

Ava felt sick to her stomach, and clenched her hand around the base of the concrete. Memories flashed, and made her roil with new anger, but this wasn't her story, and this wasn't her time to interfere. The scene continued.

Luzzu didn't answer Gatta. Both Ava and Gatta could see it in the man's eyes, the darkness and the fear… Luzzu leaned down and took Gatta's lips in a gentle kiss, making the smaller man swoon, and for a split second, forget his own worries and fears. His hand tightened around Gatta's face, prompted him closer as he pushed him back to deepen their kiss.

Ava trembled. She choked back tears of rage and sorrow. A particularly vivid flashback revealed a rock in Luzzu's hand, and the pain returned in Ava's head. The darkness, the uncertainty.

She could take no more. She ducked down, and ran with all of her power towards the stadium, forgetting why she had come to this place anyway. If she ever saw Him again, Yevon have mercy, she would kill him with her bare hands…

(End yaoi scene!)

Turns out, the Aurochs made it to the finals. Ava was mildly and pleasantly surprised as she stood at the very top of the dome, on the concrete stepping overlooking the stadium. The wind was strong, and there was a distinct scent in the air. One that always preceded trouble. As she listened, she heard first the wild cheers of the people as the Aurochs and the Goers played, then she listened further. She heard the Maesters discussing matters amongst themselves, further still, she heard something peculiar. The low snarl of a monster, a fiend.

More fiends could be heard now, rattling around in cages, pulling against tethers. The woman came back to reality, just in time to watch Wakka shoot the final attempt. The score was tied three to three, only seconds left in the game. There was a terrible sound, and the entire stadium shook for a split second as fiends poured in through the openings to the stadium.

Taking a deep breath, Ava prepared herself. She knew something bad was going to happen, it always did. Shrieks ensued, the buzzer rang, the Aurochs won the game in the final seconds, but the victory was bittersweet. Everything happened at once.

The air around Ava shook, the ground quivered again with a new power as a red ring appeared on the ground, expanding out. Symbols touched the ground as she ran, and leapt off the side of the edging, falling a good distance before she was swept up onto the back of a rather large monster. Beneath her feet were blackened feathers, a grotesque creature that resembled something of an enormous raven, with massive back talons and one long clawed arm. Where the other arm would have been, black sludge oozed like blood. Only one red eye was visible, and feathers fell as he flew through the air.

"Rael!" Ava said, balancing on his back. The monster growled, a deep and low rumbling that reverberated through the air, "Take care of the flyers, I'll get the crawlers down below!"

The beast growled again, then roared and swept downward, hugging the side of the stands for a moment as Ava leapt off. She had her blades drawn and lashed out at the closest dingo as he made a dash at her. Fiends were everywhere, and Ava didn't know how she would go about protecting all of the people.

Above her, Rael struck with precise accuracy and blinding speed, killing many of the creatures in a single blow. Ava turned, and started to work methodically, with swift, killing blows. She cut down fiend after fiend, rushing to the sound of the closest scream when…

The flash of a red coat caught her attention, the flickering gleam of the silver katana flashed in the air as a Garuda fell from the air, taken down by Tidus, Wakka and…

"AURON!" For a split second, the entire stadium seemed to go silent. The man in the red coat looked up from behind thin dark shades and caught sight of Ava. She couldn't pinpoint the emotion in his eyes, no, eye…one eye, the other was gone.

Fear and anger rocked through her, her vision wavered and her blades overflowed with some strange magic. Auron recognized the violence in the woman's eyes, and stepped back, prepared to run when a horrendous shriek split the air, clear enough to break Ava of her spell.

She looked up and away from the man, snarling, and caught sight of Rael. The blackened monster roared again before a resounding CLINK snapped through the air. Ava watched in horror as Rael was blasted backwards, falling from the air from the power of the unknown explosion. Confused and suddenly frightened, she twisted and turned to seek out the source of the blast when she caught sight of the gruesome Aeon who stood across the stadium. Garbed in chains and a fearsome shell, with a blue haired Guado and…

The Aeon's gaze narrowed on Ava, "Oh SH-" CLINK!

It was like being hit with…well, Ava didn't know what. One second, she had been standing there, the next, she had been crushed into the bleachers which had bent under the force. Blood dribbled from her lips, and her entire body had gone numb… She realized that she couldn't move.

"Ava!" the voice was so foreign to her, and yet so familiar. Like a dream. She could have sworn that she had simply imagined it.

Rael's roar cut through her numbness, and the woman shook her head, groaning out some. The great beast landed in front of her, and Ava was lifted from the twisted metal. He set her down, and she stumbled weakly, trying to find her balance. "_Quickly Ava, before it can strike again."_

Ava reached out and climbed onto the beast's back, and he took off before she had a solid grip. "Straight up," she wheezed, "I can't take another blast like that." She turned and watched the monster narrow its eyes again, and she closed her eyes as she heard the inevitable…

CLINK

Rael was knocked sideways, and Ava fell. She watched in horror as the stadium floor came up faster than she had desired. Fear roiled in her chest. She released a scream that she couldn't hear, and seconds before she hit the ground, everything went…dark…

_I'm dead…_ thought Ava weakly, _I failed, I died. That thing just killed me dead. Thank you so much, Damien, for talking me into this. I'm too young to go to the farplane just yet! I have so much to live for! Killing Sin, killing Auron, taking down Bevelle, killing Auron… I have too much to live for!_

Ava awoke to pain. A very distinct, throbbing, aching, teeth grinding pain. She gasped out and shifted to try and escape it, but her body exploded only in more throbbing, furious pain. She gasped out, reeled and squirmed, and more pain flared through.

Something cold struck her, and she recoiled from it before she was gasping for air. Someone had dumped water on her. "Wake up, fool," the creaky old voice was distant and weak, but it grew stronger, "You're not dead yet, now get up."

Ava gasped some more, and slowly turned herself over onto her stomach, and pushed herself up, onto her knees, and opened her eyes. "Oh, my head," she croaked, then winced, "Oh, Yevon, everything hurts!"

"You're such a baby." The elderly woman couldn't have been taller than five feet, hunched over, squash-faced, thick browed and gray skinned. Ava didn't know what to think or say, so she just blinked and made a strange rasping sound. "And not even a thanks, young lady. Saving your life, you ungrateful lout."

"Hey, hey, old lady, I didn't know you saved me," she groaned again, holding her head as the world spun, "A fall like that, I thought I was a goner for sure."

"You should have been. Shattered your spine, broke all your ribs, both shoulders and arms, cracked your skull." The old lady huffed, a grumpy sound as Ava staggered to her feet, "I almost couldn't piece you back together, you were such a mess. You need to be more careful, my dear."

Ava's thoughts were finally returning to her, and she shook her head, "Who are you, anyway?"

Another grumpy huff. The old woman shuffled past Ava, hands folded behind her hunched back. "You're a lucky one, Ava." She muttered, "Or perhaps very, very unlucky. You've lived the life of a hundred men. You've seen horrors others can't imagine. You've watched countless innocent people die. And to what end? The others before you are gone, and only you remain."

"Hey!" Ava shouted, "What's your point old lady?"

"I am not an old lady. I am the Oracle." She stamped her foot, and the sound echoed through the empty bottom of the stadium, "And you don't have time to be standing here asking me questions! As you waste time talking to me, your fate is walking away."

"Me – you're the one doing the talking, Grandma!" Ava shot, "And what do you mean 'my fate is walking away?' Sheesh, why can't my life make any sense!?"

"Your fate is with the Summoner. And more importantly, with your Guardian."

Ava blinked, "_My_ Guardian?"

"STOP wasting TIME." Ava jumped at the old lady's surprising bark, "Go, Go! The Lady Summoner awaits."

Ava stumbled towards the exit, still confused.

"No TIME to WALK!"

Ava growled, "Shut up Grandma!" The woman threw her arms out, and Rael appeared beneath her, lifting her up on his back. The monster growled, and snarled, then beat his wings and took off into the air. Ava was confused, but didn't argue. She never argued the fact that her life often made no sense. "How are you feeling, Rael?" she croaked, patting the beast's head.

Rael growled as he swept out of the stadium, and soared towards the entrance to the Mi'hen Highroad. The distance was surprisingly short by air, and Ava stumbled to the ground as her beast settled at the top of the steps.

She was indeed a sight. Still sore and broken, she limped down the steps, looking at each anxious face who watched her as if she had two heads. There was a wide gash at the top of her forehead, a good amount of dried blood along the side of her face, and her eyes were unfocused, possibly from the concussion. Tidus, Lulu, Wakka, Kimahri, Yuna…

She stopped three steps from the bottom, her blades flicked out. "You," she snarled. At her back, Rael growled and bared his teeth, standing. Black sludge dripped to the floor. "How. DARE. You…"

Yuna jumped between Ava and Auron, arms outstretched, "STOP!" she breathed. The rest of the Guardians snapped into defensive stances, but Ava's gaze held unwavering to the eyes of the eldest of the Guardians. The man who had changed so much since she had last seen him. But she didn't care. She just wanted to watch him die.

"Do not stand between this, Yuna." Ava's hands quivered when a shock of pain exploded in the back of her head, the aftershock sending her to her knees. She released the locks on the blades, sheathing them to grip the back of her head. Still trembling, she growled.

A large hand grabbed her shoulder. She tried to shrug it off, but tipped to the side and dropped to the steps. "Damn you Grandma, I thought you said you healed me…" The world spun again.

"Yuna," Auron's voice was deeper than she remembered. More steady. More…she couldn't describe it. "Heal her,"

She jerked up, "I don't need her help!" Ava snarled, lashing out with one hand to grab at Auron's throat. She clutched his flesh and looked up into his eyes as a surprised gasp came from the other Guardians. Ava cinched her jaw and tightened her grip, struggling to stay up, to keep this strength. "How long…?" Ava growled. Auron made no move to answer, "HOW LONG!?" she roared.

Her grip on his throat loosened just enough to allow him to talk. His eyes showed no fear. No anger. Only some indescribable emotion, the same that she had seen in Luzzu's eyes earlier that very, very long day. "I…" his voice was soft, "I don't know."

Ava snarled and pushed forward, digging her nails into his neck now, careful not to cut off his air passages just yet. "Two…and a half…" she took a deep breath, "Two and a half years, I waited for you. On those cold peaks of Gagazet." His eyes wavered with something, once more she couldn't describe, "You _abandoned_ me there, Auron. I trusted you and your fool promises."

He was silent.

"Well?" she growled, staring to cut off his air now, "Do you have anything to say? Any final words?"

"No," he said, "I said them ten years ago."

Ava flew into a rage then a dark, clawed hand grasped her, and wrenched her back. She lay there, panting as the rage ebbed slowly, "I hate you." She growled weakly.

"You have every reason to." Auron stood, and turned, "Yuna, please heal her. She has taken a lot of damage."

"But, Sir Auron she-"

"Once she calms down, she will be fine." His words were steady, unwavering. Auron knew he couldn't trust Ava, he was only displaying more of that acute ability to lie. But, she couldn't figure out why he would lie about this. Ava wanted him dead, so why would he…

The world wavered again. A cool air brushed over her, and headache ebbed away slowly. She looked at Rael, who kept one enormous clawed hand over her, but stared intently at Auron. Nobody seemed to be able to say anything, but finally Rael perked up, _"Ava will not harm. She will protect."_

Ava grumbled, then dropped her head back against the cement steps and closed her eyes. Rael's hand vanished, and the entire beast faded away in a soft light.

**Alright, I realize it's probably confusing, but the questions will be answered soon. Halfway through chapter 4, no, the story hasn't died yet!**


End file.
